Oven for drying plates



J. A. CAREY.

0VEN FOR DRYING PLATES.

APPLICATION HLED DEC-21. 1920.

2 39 I Patented Oct. 24', 1922. TH 5.1

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Faten'ted (lot. 271, 192?...

Jenkins acnnnv, on rirrsnnnsn.

PENNSYLVANIA.

OVEN F013, DRYING PLATES.

1 '0 all w/zomit may concern: g

Be it known that l. JAMns A. AREY, a citizen of the Unlted States. residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and,

State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ovens for'Drying Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a plate drying oven particularly adapted for use by photoengravers. I

In photo engravingestablishments, a. reproduction of an objec-tis made on a photographic negative. 1 The negativesnsually employed are prepared by the engraver, and

comprise glass plates to which he applies a sensitive coating, which is dried, usually after being developed; In someprocesses of photo-engraving, the sensitized coating remains on the glass, in other processes, the

coating with the negative must be transferred to other glass. 7/ transfer, the negative must be thoroughly dried, after which it is given one or more coatings of material, and each coating must to keep them free of dust, and in which they are kept in such a position that any excess of coating may drain off, the oven being so constructed that a plurality of plates may be dried simultaneously without their touching each other, or contacting with the excess material that drains off.

Apparatus for this purpose has generally been more or less crudely constructed and has usually been heated by gas. The drying racks have generally been built in the oven and could only be cleaned with difficulty. so that they would become gunnned with the coating from the plates.

According to the present invention, the oven is so arranged that it is preferably heated electrically, and the rack is one that may be easily and readily removed, whereby it can be conveniently cleaned.

In the drawings, which illustrate my in vention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the plate drying oven;

Fig.2 shows in perspective a portion of the tray and rack;

For eliecting the formed. lit will. be seen Fig. 3 shows a transverse section through the rack; and 1 l ig. 1- indicates diagramniatically the wiring circuit for the electric heating means.

in the lrawings 5 indicate legs, 6 a shelf connecting the legs, and 7 is the oven. if desired, the oven and supporting frame might be formed separately, as indicated. The oven is preferably rectangular in shape and is provided with. an opening 8 .in one side thereof, hinged doors 9 providing a closure therefor.

In the bottom portion of the oven are a plurality of heating'elements 10, which are preferably electric heating units, andmay be manually controlled by switch devices 11. A thermostat 12 (see Fig. 3) may be 111- cluded in the circuit to prevent the oven from becoming overheated, and a .control-. ling means for the thermostat is indicated at 13. Suspended within the oven space from the top 14. of the oven by means of hooks 15. is the drying rack 16. I v The drying rack comprises frame members 17 to which is hung a tray 18. Arranged in rows to form partitions for the photographic plates are upright rods 19. llestingon the flanges of the tray 18 is a heavy wire net 20 of coarse mesh, or other similar plate supporting means. In alinenicnt with. the transverse rows of vertical rods 19, openings 2-1 may be that when the plates are placed in the rack, one between each transverse row of rods 19, they will rest on the net 20, which will allow the excess coating to run off and drop into the tray 18. The holes 21 are so positioned that practically none of the coating will drop through them onto the heating units, but heated air can pass through the perforations up between the plates. The coating, being viscous or gummy, will have a tendency to dry where it falls on the tray and therefore will not run through the openings. elements may be kept free of the coating, and the rack and trays can be readily removed for cleaning by disengaging the hooks. The wirenet 20 prevents the plates from resting in the excess material that collects at the bottom of the tray. The wire net has not been shown in Fig. 2 in order that the arrangement of rods and perforations may be seen. Means similar to a wire net could be used in its stead.

From the foregoing, the method of using the oven will lie-apparent. The coated plates Thus. the heating i are placed in the rack, either before or after the rack is placed in the oven. On e the rack is in position and the plates are put in place, the doors are closed and the plates dried. By reason oi the construction of the oven, the plates are not exposed to dust and dirt, and better results can therefore be obtained.

While the oven particularly adapted for use by plate engravers yetl do not limit myself to such use. Wi li-at I claim is:

1. An oven having an opening; in one side thereof, a closure for the opening, means .in the bottom. o't-the oven for ljieatingyit, a platereceiving rack suspended from the topthereof-abo've said heating;' means and a tray below the rael; and sus 'iended therefrom for catching the excess coating material which drips-from theplates.

2. in combination with an own, a plate drying rack-therein for supportingcoated platesto be dried, said rack comprising a tray having a-bo'ttom and sides, transverserows of rods on said tray, and-means above the tray on which the plates may rest and, permitting excess coating to drain from the plates to the tray.

3. In eomb'nationwith an oven, a plate drying; rack therein for suppotiui;- coated plates to be dried, said rack comprising a tray having a bottom, transverse rows of rods supported onthe tray, and a wire net above the bottom through which the rods pass and on'which theplates are supported.

4;. In combination with an oven, 21 plate trayhaving a bottom, transverse rows of vertical rods supported on said bottom, said bottom h aving perforations therein arranged in alinement with the rods, and a wire net supported above;t'l1e;tr,ay and throu h which the rods pass and on which the p ates are supported. a

5. In combination with an oven having heating means-at ithe bottom thereof, of a plate drying r aok suspended in said oven, said rack oon'lprisingaztra yhaving perform tions in the bottom ithereoi, transverse rows ot' rodson said tray, and a .wire .net above the tray on whiehthe plates to'bedried are adapted to be su nported.

--6. 1n combination with an oven having heating; means in the bottom thereof and hooks at the top thereof, of a removable drying rack therein for supporting coated plates to be dried comprising frametmembers suspended l'rom the hooks, a tray secured tothe bottom of the frame members, transverse rows oi. verticalirods on saidibottonn-and a wire net supported above the tray through which said rods pass and onuvhieh the plates to be dried rest. a

111 testimony whereof 1 1 a'flix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

' JAMES A. CAREY.

"Witnesses: p

W' H. PARME-LIDE, Lois WVINEMAN. 

